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During the rest of the interview Obama discussed the economy, Iran, his healthcare plan and the media scrutiny he has faced since he came to power.

He also appeared at one point to criticise coverage of him by Fox News. Asked by Mr Harwood about perceptions Obama has gotten an easy ride from the press, the president called the charge “very hard for him to swallow.”

“I’ve got one television station that is entirely devoted to attacking my administration…That’s a pretty big megaphone. You’d be hard pressed if you watched the entire day to find a positive story about me on that front,” he said.

"We welcome people who are asking us some tough questions. I think I’ve probably been as accessible as any president in the first six months.

"I think that actually the reason people have been generally positive about what we’ve been trying to do is people feel as if I’m available and willing to answer questions and we haven’t been trying to hide the ball.”